HI, I just had half my thyroid taken out because of the same type of cancer. The only thing was they found the cancer after. I am now waiting to see what the next step is. Anyway the recovery is really not that bad. The first night I stayed in the hospital and had a hard time swallowing. It felt like a really bad cold in my throat. The next few days were not that bad and I went back to work after two weeks. From what I have been learning the RAI must be two months after your surgery. Good luck It is not that bad